Bobby Thomson’s home run to help the New York Giants beat the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1951 to win the pennant is still painful because even though it happened five years before yours truly was born, it’s been highlighted so often on TV. It was called “the shot heard ’round the world.”

The left hook landed by Jhonny Gonzalez on the jaw of Abner Mares this past Saturday at StubHub Center in Carson was boxing’s shot heard ’round the world. It was painful for any fan of Mares’, and for Mares himself because it was the beginning of the end. Somehow, some way, Mares got up from the crushing blow that had to have left a dent, before being banged down to the canvas for the second and final time.

Two minutes and 55 seconds into the fight, the bout was waved off. Mares (26-1-1) lost his belt, and his unbeaten record. But apparently, he did not lose his backbone.

There was a rematch clause in the contract. He’s exercising it, and he has asked Richard Schaefer — CEO of Golden Boy Promotions — to get the return bout done before the end of the year.

Saturday’s result was shocking, as Mares had become a top five pound-for-pound fighter. Rarely do you see someone that high up the ladder get knocked out in the first round. But it is not one bit stunning that Mares wants to get right back at Gonzalez.

Immediately after the fight, Mares said he wanted to take a vacation with his family. But by the time mid-week rolled around, he had burned the phone lines enough to let people know what he really wants.

“In typical Abner Mares fashion — Abner Mares in all of his fights never took it the easy way, he always looks out for the biggest fights — Abner called me yesterday himself and he said he wants to have the rematch and he wants to have it this year,” Schaefer, who promotes Mares, said Wednesday.

You can’t help but marvel at Mares. Prior to Saturday’s staggering defeat, Mares had a string of seven fights, where only one might not have fit the “tough opponent” bill. Considering what happened against Gonzalez, no one would have blamed Mares for taking some rest and relaxation.

Mares, of Hawaiian Gardens, is not your ordinary champion, though. He’s got that fire in his belly needed to win titles in three weight classes in three years time. It’s not like one knockout loss, mind-blowing as it was, is going to change that.

“He wants to end the year being world champion again,” Schaefer said. “This fight woke up the beast in him. He wants the rematch. And I said, ‘Are you sure?’ And he said, ‘Absolutely, that’s what I want.’ I said, ‘OK, let me see if I can get it done. I’m not sure I can get it done this year, but this is certainly an important fight, a big fight, and I’m going to see what I can do.’”

Frank Espinoza of West Covina manages Mares. During a telephone conversation this week, Espinoza seemed like he still couldn’t believe what happened in front of the pro-Mares crowd. (Neither could one of the fans, who tossed a beer at Gonzalez as he celebrated in the ring.)

“Well, I mean, I was surprised when I first saw it,” Espinoza said. “It’s something I wasn’t expecting. It caught me off-guard. Shocked. It happened so quick.”

Press row was full of reporters with their jaws wide open, too. Not that Gonzalez isn’t any good. He was a former champion heading in, but he just wasn’t expected to be able to do anything close to what he did to Mares.

One thing is certain, Espinoza has no doubt Mares will be able to overcome this.

“At the end of the day, this is boxing,” Espinoza said of the knockout. “I believe that Abner will be back even stronger. I think he learned from this experience. … He’s got that warrior spirit. And now that he has lost, he wants to win. He’s got that championship pedigree in him.”

We have no question about that. But it will be interesting to see how Mares reacts to being in the same ring again so soon with a guy who hit him harder than anyone ever had. That punch would have made Bobby Thomson proud.

Chavez Jr. back in the saddle

One could say Sept. 15, 2012 was not a good day for Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. He lost his middleweight title via unanimous decision to Sergio Martinez at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas. He tested positive for marijuana in a post-fight drug test, and was eventually suspended nine months and fined $900,000 by the Nevada State Athletic Commission, which later reduced the fine to $100,000.

The son of the legend is back, and he’ll try and pick up the pieces Sept. 28, when he takes on Bryan Vera in a super middleweight bout at StubHub Center in Carson (on HBO).

“I am just so happy getting back into the ring after such a long layoff,” Chavez, 27, said. “I think about the Sergio Martinez fight every day. A little of me died inside when I lost that fight. Could I have done better? Of course, I should have, but it did not happen.”

Chavez lost a wide decision to Martinez, but nearly knocked out Martinez in a thrilling 12th round. Chavez said he wanted the rematch as soon as he exited the ring. It didn’t materialize, but Vera is no joke, and Chavez knows it.

“Vera is the real deal, a warrior,” Chavez said. “Years ago I sparred a few rounds against Vera when I was in Dallas during the (Manny) Pacquiao vs. (Antonio) Margarito event (in December 2010) and Vera was pretty intense and I knew he could fight.”

Chavez, who is not known as one who likes to train, is taking this fight at 165 pounds, five over the middleweight limit. He looked a bit beefy Thursday at a Los Angeles news conference.

“I’m 22 pounds over with a month to go,” he said, “so I’ll be fine.”

ETC…

Middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin of Kazakhstan will defend his title against Curtis Stevens of Brownsville, N.Y., on Nov. 2 at Madison Square Garden (on HBO). Golovkin, 31, is 27-0 with 24 knockouts and is looked upon as the hardest puncher in the game, pound-for-pound. He is trained by West Covina’s Abel Sanchez in Big Bear. Stevens, 28, is 25-3 with 18 knockouts. … Former welterweight champion Luis Collazo (33-5, 17 KOs) of Brooklyn will take on Alan Sanchez (12-2-1, 6 KOs) of Fairfield in the main event Monday at Cowboys Dance Hall in San Antonio. The Golden Boy Promotions card will be televised by Fox Sports 1. … Heavyweight contenders Chris Arreola (35-3, 30 KOs) of Riverside and Seth Mitchell (26-1-1, 19 KOs) of Brandywine, Md., will square off in the main event next Saturday from Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio (on Showtime). … A week later, on Sept. 14, Floyd Mayweather Jr. (44-0, 26 KOs) and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 KOs) of Mexico will tangle in a junior middleweight title fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view).

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